


Shorter Wong x Reader

by Beaknowles334



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beaknowles334/pseuds/Beaknowles334
Summary: You start to run into a strange guy with a purple mohawk over and over again. What could these coincidences mean? What could happen?
Relationships: Shorter Wong/Reader
Comments: 17
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm Bea
> 
> If you're reading my fic thank you for sticking through my awful writing :O. I hope you like it, I have an insane obsession with Shorter Wong as well as sweet romance. This is the first chapter and I'm posting it to see what will happen. Im so excited.

Chapter One  
The Start

The alarm on your phone would go off at 6:15 a.m. and the time currently read 3:30 a.m. Your eyes stared into the darkness. They would not stay closed. As soon as it became unbearable, you would grab your phone, then immediately feel guilty putting it down. The absence of a phone left you in the darkness all alone, exposed to a brain that was producing intrusive thoughts a mile a minute. When those intrusive thoughts burst in, the phone would get picked right back up.

I want to sleep so bad. I have a damn quiz tomorrow. 

As 4:45 approached, sleep finally actualized drool even ran down your chin. Then the alarm rang, disrupting the only ounce of peace that you ever seemed to get. You haven’t dreamt in weeks. Managing to silence the alarm and getting yourself out of bed, you made your way to the bathroom. 

When you got back into the room, you couldn't bear to turn the lights on. You decided to get dressed in the dark. As the sun rose and its light entered your bedroom, it revealed your outfit. It looked awful, and your hair looked just as bad. Opting for a pair of low pigtails, you scrambled for hair ties. Then you slid your giant Bluetooth headphones over your head. As the noise canceling aspect of the headphones hit your eardrums, they popped. You turned to stare yourself down in the mirror. Whether you cared or not, the voice in your head let you know that you could not go out like this. You hastily drew on eyeliner, applied chapstick, and moisturized your skin, poking and prodding at your eyebags in the process. Now the outfit, you kept your trusty top on but switched the sweats out for a skirt and tights. Sliding on the stockings was a nightmare. Millions of holes resided within them. Extra-long socks and a scarf were the way to go, and you threw on some shoes.

You opened the front door of your apartment and made your way to the elevator, it was only a four story apartment so it didn’t take long, and then you were outside.

As much as you loved the cold, the icy air that hit your skin completely ruined the illusion of coziness your building provided. Looking out onto the street, you noticed your friend wasn’t there to pick you up. At the beginning of the year, you guys had decided to drive in together because you had no car. Having a car in the city was a semi weird thing, but it was less dangerous and way easier than taking public transport.

As you stood waiting you dug through your bag for gloves, and quickly put them on. You sat on the concrete steps which were cold on your close to bare legs, and then they finally pulled up.

Arriving at school your friend found parking, and the two of you walked in the building. The day was miserable. 

Stepping into a classroom left you close to repulsed. You felt you were getting way too old for this. You were definitely too big for these ancient desks, that had been one of the only constant things in your life since elementary. 

Once school was over everyone basically ran out of the building including yourself. You waited for your friend by their car. Soon they walked up.

“Y/N, let's get out of here as fast as possible, I actually want to stop somewhere today”.

Cameron, was your closest friend. He knew everything, but you guys barely talked. Whenever something good or bad happened he was aware, but never made you get into the gory details. The silence you two endured when together was heavenly for the both of you. He never disappointed you, or hurt you. The best thing about him was that he never felt the need to comment on your appearance or the things you chose to partake in during your free time, and of course you did the same for him. He also always knew if you were in the mood to talk or not. You guys had a strong connection somehow, which probably resulted from how similar you were. 

“Where to Cameron? Where do you want to stop?” 

“Just the Corner store, I need snacks and stuff”

“Got ya”

You both hopped in the car and successfully got out of that building's presence. You listened to music in your headphones and left it loud enough so Cameron could hear. Soon you were at heavens gates, the corner store.

“Y/N coming in?” 

“Yup yup”

Cameron headed for the sour candy and you headed for the sandwich counter. The guy acknowledged your presence with a nod and you quickly gave him the order. 

“A number four please, and get some banana peppers in there if you could, thank you thank you” 

He stared for a second, not immediately turning to acquire the loaf that was needed for your number four. He was looking behind you.

Ahhh there's someone behind me isn't there.

You slightly turned to make sure Cameron hadn’t changed his mind about your sandwich offer. When you turned your head to look it definitely wasn’t Cameron, this guy had purple hair, an eyebrow piercing and was wearing sunglasses, Cameron definitely didn't have purple hair, let alone a purple mohawk. You quickly stepped to the side understanding that he was going to order something, and with that he inched to the position beside you. 

“Hey, can I get a number four with some banana peppers, that's it thank you”

The same order. As you both waited for the food your headphones sat around your neck the music still playing. You made sure not to hum, embarrassing yourself was not how you wanted today to go. Soon Cameron walked over from the other end of the store.

“Y/N i’m gonna go pay”

“Okayy” 

Having a stranger stand beside you made you feel tense, just like always. You fidgeted with your receipt. Both your orders came out at the same time and the purple-haired stranger grabbed both the sandwiches from the counter and handed you yours as if he had paid for it.

“Y/N enjoy your sandwich” he smirked walking away from you. 

You stared at him in confusion for a second and then realized he had gotten your name from Cameron, whatever. After stepping out of the haze his voice had put you in, you looked around the store, and spotted Cameron who was handing money to the cashier.


	2. The Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TGIF!! movie night :))

The next few days the cycle repeated. Cameron picked you up, you went to school, and then Cameron drove you home. Then Friday came around. You basically skipped out of the building that morning. Fridays lifted your spirits like nothing else. When school was over Cameron drove you home. 

“What do you think about a movie later on?” 

“What time?”

“I dunno, like nine? I definitely want to catch a late one.”

“Alright... What movie?”

“There's a scary one out… Um, what was it..”

“The apocalypse one? About the seven plagues?”

“You read my mind”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing that, I’ll get ready and see you then. We can do a ‘sneak in’, get some snacks and shit, i’ll bring my big coat” 

“Yeah sounds great, I wanted to ask you, you know your friend that guy that sits with you at lunch… Do you have his info? I mean would he want to come?”

“Ahhh got ya. Yeah I have his number, I can text him. I thought you were talking to Melanie though?” 

“Y/N! That was a month and a half ago!”

“Shit, I’ll text him”

“Do you think he's the type of person to be okay with me being bi…? There always seems to be an issue with that for some reason.” 

You glanced over at Cameron, you knew he needed a bit of reassurance. “It’ll be okay, Jack is awesome. Help me write this text to him though, I’m awful with this kind of thing.”

The two of you sat in the car outside of your building and filled out the text message. Once it was in its final draft stage it read, “Hey Jack! I think you know my friend Cameron? He wants to go to the movies tonight and inquired about your availability ;)) I’m going too so I can be a buffer, let me know we will be going at 8:30” You guys high fived and clicked the send button, letting out a screech as you did so. 

“This is gonna be great! WOO! I’ll get a playlist ready. EEEE! I’m so excited for you and the sour candies you will buy me” You let an evil smile burst across your face, and began to step out of the car, “Bye Bye”.

The text from Jack arrived at about 3, he was excited to go with Cameron and you. The scary part was over. 

Getting ready was not a difficult task. You did your thing for a few hours and then at around seven you hopped in the shower, washed your hair and everything. You got out and dressed yourself. You put on a pair of mega baggy jeans and a zip up hoodie. No makeup, just a ton of moisturizer, because who wants to be uncomfortable during a movie, it was only Cameron and his date, oo la la. You still had about an hour till 8:25, you cleaned up your room and checked your phone every few minutes.

Cameron pulled up ten minutes ahead of schedule, he was obviously nervous to pick Jack up. You put your big jacket on and got in the car. Jack lived in a huge apartment building so you had to wait outside for a few minutes, Cameron was freaking out. Jack was in high spirits when he departed from the lobby doors. The first thing you and Cameron did was share your evil plan to sneak food in and he was 100% compliant. Since both of them were so happy you were happy too, and even became talkative. You were all singing the songs from the playlist you made, it was really nice to relax with people you adored. You arrived at the trusty old corner store, your mind now set on sour candy. In the aisle you all joked around, piling sour candy packs into Cameron’s arms. 

“Guys” his laughter bursting between words “I'm gonna need a basket!!”

“WAIT WAIT!!!” Jack blurted “You can’t forget these!”

Cameron had to hobble to the counter which made you laugh hysterically to the point that you fell onto the shelves and went down onto your knees. You guys were being absolutely obnoxious, but felt so comfortable in the store you had been frequenting for years. When you fell to the ground a hand reached down for you and you grabbed it getting back on your feet. You leaned on them, grabbing the sleeve of their shirt, laughing hysterically. You thought it was Jack, but then he appeared in front of you. You looked at the person standing there, it was that purple mohawk guy. You stood there shocked, still grabbing onto his arm, he smiled down at you. You let go and straightened yourself out. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize. We are so obnoxious, I am so terribly sorry!”

“I don’t mind” He flashed you that smile again. “Y/N”

He still remembered your name after all those days. You stood perplexed watching yourself in the reflection of his sunglasses, your heart beat fast and hard in your chest. 

Suddenly as you stood there your eyebrows contorted and you asked, “What's your name?” 

“Shorter” Cameron was standing at the door, waiting to leave, Jack stood beside him. 

“I’ve got a movie to catch.” You hurriedly walked past Shorter, basically running out of the store. You had an intense feeling in your chest. Cameron shot you a glance and you smiled. 

“Where have I seen him before?”

“He was here the last time we came... yep!” You got into the car and calmed yourself down. For some reason your breathing was becoming harsh, you didn’t want to make a scene. You shook your head really hard, trying to scramble your brain almost. You threw on a smile. 

“WOOO” your hand moved to the volume dial, cranking the music up. Cameron pulled out of the lot and opened the window for you. He knew by the look on your face that something was up. As you guys drove down the highway you stuck your arm out of the window, letting the wind control it. 

Cameron went up and down the aisles in the movie theatre’s parking lot, and you stuffed your jacket with candy. There was absolutely no parking and no time to find any, so Cameron dropped Jack and you off at the entrance. You had a mission, get the tickets. The line for the movie you guys wanted to see ended up not being long at all, getting the tickets was an easy task. 

“I really like him” You looked up at Jack, he stood there looking at his feet. 

“Really?!”

“Yeah, he’s great”

“Cameron is the best person I have ever met, I’m so happy” You couldn't help but let a smile spread across your face. You had no doubt about Cameron’s abilities, but were surprised that it had only been about 20 minutes since they met. Jack was glowing, seeing someone glow like that was one of the thrills of life. 

Cameron came back in about ten minutes, and your trio made your way to the designated theatre. The seats were damn near perfect. The movie was great, super scary, but still really good. You didn't get out until 10:30, and you were tired but also really happy. 

“Can you drop me home first? I am exhausted.” You let out a convincing yawn. The truth was that you wanted Cameron and Jack to have some alone time. 

“Oh, definitely. No worries Y/N”. 

When you got dropped off Jack got into the passenger seat and you watched the two lovebirds depart. You walked in the apartment, all the lights were off, sliding your jeans and other uncomfortable clothing off as you made your way to your room. The night out had left you drained, you got in bed and had some of the best sleep of your life. You dreamt of him, the dummy that made your heart beat out of your chest. 

God, what is it with him?

The next morning you took it slow. Sitting on your phone for a few hours, and putting some essential oils on. Shorter was making no attempt in leaving your mind. There was no way you’d see him again though? Right? I mean that was a crazy coincidence. 

As if you had willed it a notification popped up on your phone. 

No way…

It was a text from Cameron that read, “ I don’t know if you noticed but Jack and that guy you saw in the shop last night know each other. They said hi to each other when we were there. I wanted to let you know because you seemed to have a reaction when you saw him. Do what you want with that information :D. Thank you for last night, as always you are the BEST!” 

You could barely hold the phone anymore. The text you sent back was, “Omg no fucking way he seems to be popping up often : 0 anything for you!” The universe was definitely in cahoots with this Shorter guy. There was no way you would do anything with the information Cameron provided, you did not have the confidence for that. 

The rest of the weekend was pleasant, there were no assignments due on Monday so you just layed in bed and did a multitude of things on your phone. It was nice, you needed that.


	3. Getting to Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is almost like a filler,,, I just wanted to show that there is time inbetween each coincidence ;))  
> More Shorter in the next Chapter

Your mom had always told you that you didn’t need to get a job, but lately you could see that she was struggling. Working would probably be hard for you, that was not your main concern, you wanted to make sure you could afford groceries and keep the apartment. Your Mom needed help, and you were going to step up. 

You were once again on a mission, get a job, but it was nothing like some dumb thing you and Cameron usually schemed about. You presented the idea to your mom by saying that you wanted the job experience, and that you needed to get out of the house more. She questioned your ability to do school work, but you convinced her you’d be fine. 

Where should I apply?

Maybe i’ll take a walk around the city? See if there are any help wanted signs?

Yeah I’ll do that.

Out of all the places in the city you liked ChinaTown the best. It was closeby and the aura it gave off drew you to it. 

I’ll walk over there early, look around, and then pick up dinner so my mom doesn’t have to worry about that.

It was a Saturday again. You got ready at around 1:30, showering and clothing yourself. The outfit you put on consisted of a dress, tights, long socks, leather jacket, a scarf, a fluffy hat, and knitted gloves. It was a lot but you were going to be walking around in the cold for a few hours. You decided against bringing headphones so that you could be aware of your surroundings. 

Walking around ChinaTown was lovely, a street vender was making youtiao and it made the streets smell heavenly. ChinaTown had a warm feeling to it. You made sure to peer into all the windows as you walked down the streets. As you turned a corner there was a small shop that had a help wanted sign. The store was filled with colorful Jiés, incense, cat figurines, jewelry, it was a beautiful store. As you entered the bell on the door rang, and a small man rushed to stand behind the counter.

“Hello, welcome! Welcome!”

“Hello”

“Shop your heart out!” he blurted, you chuckled. He went back into the office that was behind the front counter, he must have been busy. As you were walking around you found a cute personal bank shaped like a cat and a pair of beautiful earrings, but you thought that the bank was more fitting for the mission you were on. With the cat bank in hand you made your way to the front counter and the little man came back out. 

“Just this?” 

“Yes, but I also wanted to ask about a job application? I would really love to work here.”

“Really!” he was excited, “I have had that sign up for a while, no one has asked about it. How old are you?”

“18” you fumbled for your ID, “here, but by the way I am still in highschool”. He examined it and shot you a smile.

“I am happy to give you the job right now. I have an application you can fill out, and then you can start next week.” He scrambled for the paperwork, and handed it to you. You stood there and filled it out on the counter as he rang you up. When you were done with the paperwork he traded you the receipt and bag with the bank for it.

“I will send you an email with your schedule. The pay is 12 dollars an hour.”

“Sounds good! I’ll see you then”

You walked out of the shop and it was already 4. 

What should I grab for dinner?

Checking your wallet you saw that the cat bank had done some damage. You did not have the money for anything extravagant. You thought about the corner store, but what if you saw Shorter again? 

I’ll pick up burgers.

You stopped by the good burger place near your building and brought it home to your Mom. She was happy that she didn’t have to make dinner. You told her about the job, and she was mildly excited. It was clearly hard for her. You wanted to make her feel better about the job, you’d convince her sometime in the future, at least you hoped so.


	4. First Day on the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shorter Wong the dreamboat... god i love that man

The email with your schedule came super quick, the store manager, who you learned went by Mr. Tsuchiya, wanted you to work Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Oof

Hopefully once on the job you would like it, so that those days wouldn't be miserable.

The first day came quickly. On school days Mr. Tsuchiya asked you to work from 4-8. Cameron dropped you off home right after school, he wished you good luck as you departed. Once upstairs and in your apartment you needed a shower. You were pretty compulsive about showering after school. Once again you got dressed, a skirt that reached your knees and was semi tattered, and a cropped black sweater, tights, long socks, gloves, shoes, the works, and you put your hair into a half up half down style.

This is work appropriate right? I think so…

After checking yourself in the mirror a multitude of times and grabbing your tote bag you made your way to the elevator. The walk to the shop wasn’t long at all, maybe 15 minutes? It was nice to get out, you usually wouldn’t take walks like this. 

Working was fun. The store surprisingly got a lot of customers. You hadn't noticed before but there were all kinds of herbal remedies for sale, people would come in and get them for tea. Mr. Tsuchiya was very kind, he gave you a protein bar mid shift and asked if you wanted anything else. The store was nice to be in, with all the colors, and it smelled so nice all the time. This was probably the best job you could have ever found. 

When the shift was just about over you peered outside the shop window. 

Dammit it's really dark out. I didn’t think about that. How stupid am I?

You remembered that one alleyway you would take to get home in the daytime, and how it scared you even during the day. 

Alright, Alright just text Cameron!

When Mr. Tsuchiya told you you could leave, you walked outside and saw the street vendor from a few days before. You crossed the street realizing you hadn’t eaten all day, and asked for a big batch. As you stood there you got your phone out to text Cameron, but just as you got your phone out you felt someone brush past you. You looked in their direction and to your surprise he was sprinting down the street. He looked back at you and smiled, it was like the world was in slowmo for a second, as if you were in a movie. 

“Y/N!!! WAIT THERE!” he yelled as he disappeared down the streets, leaving you to stand there alone.

What am I supposed to do with myself? Stand here because Shorter told me to? Annoy this vendor with my presence? Should I still text Cameron? Was he just chasing someone?

You slid your phone back in your pocket, not clicking send on that message. You stood there waiting. It wasn’t long before Shorter made his way back to you. 

“What are you doing out here at night time? Don’t you have any common sense?”

“You are the one that told me to wait for you, I don’t even know you”

“Well then why did you wait?” 

“I don’t know”

“Why are you out here?”

“I work at the place across the street, that shop. I just got off my first shift and kind of forgot it would be so dark out, like a dumbass.”

“Mr. Tsuchiya’s?”

“yep”

“You're not a dumbass. You don’t have a ride home?”

“No, I was going to ask a friend but then you came along. I’ll probably just walk it’s only like fifteen minutes.”

“I’m not letting you go by yourself. A pretty girl? No way am I letting you walk alone. Do you want to call your friend or are you okay with me bringing you? I have a motorcycle, but I think walking is a better idea”

“You can walk me. I’m sure if I got on a motorcycle i’d eat shit.”

He smiled. 

“Why do I keep running into you anyways?” You started walking in the direction of your building. He had to go into a light jog to catch up with you. 

“Must be fate” 

“Sure” You gave him a funny face, and then offered him one of your youtiao. He stayed with you the entire fifteen minutes and kept up the conversation. He asked you if you liked the new job, where you went to school, your age, your birthday. He wanted to know everything it seemed. When you told him you were at your building he got disappointed.

“Thank you. You know, for ensuring my safety.” 

“Yeah of course, that's my mission, have a good night.” He turned away. 

“Are you gonna be ok getting home?” 

“HAH!” he laughed hard “of course I am, do you see me?” He gestured to his body.

He is so dumb.

“Good night Shorter.”

As you ascended the steps to the lobby doors you thought about how he had said “fate”. I mean there was no other explanation. Everytime you left the house you saw him. Unless he is a world class stalker it must have been fate. As you grabbed onto the lobby doors, you could still feel his presence behind you. 

“Y/N, give me your number.” He said sternly from the bottom of the stairs. 

“Oh, um, ok.” you said as you turned to him, your cheeks turned bright red, and you yelled out the 10 digits. 

“I’ll be around if you ever need another escort” Then he walked away. 

How did he get his hair so perfectly purple and soft? How did he get so toned? How does he walk and move so perfectly? Why can’t I breathe?


	5. Again

The weeks were getting monotonous and jumbled. You were busy all the time. Cameron and Jack were officially dating, so there probably wouldn’t be another trio sesh. Cameon still picked you up every morning for school, you still had trouble sleeping, and you still worked 5 days a week. After Shorter walked you home that night which seemed like years ago, you thought of him more than you wanted to admit. He texted a few times to ask if you were safe walking home, but you didn’t want to burden him with your nightly journeys, So instead of texting him to walk you home you went by yourself clenching your pepper spray as you walked. It was a small teeny little white lie. 

That night when he walked you home your breathing became irrational again when you had to walk away from him, but you couldn’t figure out why he had that effect on you. Hearing him talk when you were together was therapeutic to you and the silence he left you in after leaving wasn't a good silence, not like the silence you endured with Cameron, it was a silence you hated. 

When you were with him that night the air felt crisp and the world felt so big, your eyes were seeing vivid colors, and your vision was perfect. When he left you the world started to shrink on you, and your eyes blurred. You swore that when you saw him at the bottom of your building steps he glowed. 

It was a Saturday you had work from ten to five. You headed over to the shop wearing your normal attire this time being a jean skirt, tank top, tights, long socks, an oversized black mesh long sleeve, shoes, and your leather jacket. You had started to bring your headphones on the walks, listening to music to make you think about something other than your dwindling energy level. Saturdays were pretty nice working days though, you had the day off before, and the day off after. 

Mr. Tsuchiya was with a customer when you walked in. After the customer left he approached you frantically. 

“Y/N I am so sorry to do this to you, but my son was just sent to the hospital. I need to get down there so I am going to close the shop.”

“I am so sorry, I can stay here with the shop, I can even do some paperwork if it will help. Anything you need.”

“You would have to stay late, I don't close until 8 on Saturdays, will you be able to close for me?”

“Yes, do you have a spare key?” He went into the office and handed it to you. 

“Thank you Y/N. Make sure to get yourself lunch.” He ran out of the store.

I hope his son is okay. 

Saturdays were usually pretty busy. The bell on the door rang every ten minutes. Customers who bought herbs weekly usually came in on Saturday to get their stash. Everytime the store emptied you ran into the office to do paperwork. 

You sat in the office after a customer left, and then the bell on the door rang. You stood up and rushed behind the corner.

“Welcome” you spoke with a smile. Shorter was standing at the door, and the shop immediately brightened. 

“You're working today? I wanted to buy something. Where is Mr. Tsuchiya?”

“He had to go see his son. What are you looking for?”

“He left you alone? For how long?”

“Well I've been here since ten and he had to go right when I walked in. He wants me to close at eight. I offered.”

“Have you eaten at all today?”

“No, I didn’t think I should leave.” He walked out of the store. You started to panic a little. 

Did I offend him? What the fuck?

Shorter was gone for fifteen minutes. You stood there perplexed, genuinely thinking you said something wrong. When he came back he had a bag. He closed and locked the door, and drew the blinds. It was dark in the store now, the only light was a lamp on the counter. He grabbed the chair from the office and gestured for you to sit. The suspense was killing you. He opened the bag he was holding and set the containers out on the counter, he had brought you dumplings and tea. He snapped your chopsticks for you and set them in your hand. The dumplings were delicious, he sat there and watched you eat. 

“Have some”

“Y/N like a normal person I have eaten already today. I brought this for you.”

“Well aren't you generous”

“You could say that, yes yes I am generous.” he said proudly. You let out a snort covering your mouth and nose after doing so.

“Did you… Did you just snort?!” He laughed hysterically. 

“Shut up! It was an accident!” You hit his arm. It was about as hard as stone. There was no way he was much older than you and he had the arms of a greek god. He laughed and went back to watching you eat. He wasn’t as talkative as the last time you saw him. When you were finished you wiped your mouth and threw the trash out.

“So what did ya come in here lookin for?”

“Oh I want to get some dong quai and just look around more closely at your place of work. Do you have any recommendations for good investments?”

“I’ll get your dong quai and then i’ll give you a mini tour.” You bottled up the herbs and set it on the counter. 

“Alright, so ever since I started working here I have admired the lanterns, but I mean what are you looking for in particular?”

“I wanted to get something nice… a gift. I trust your expertise”

“Well, I do like the lanterns, but I think these earrings which I actually really love are great, you know long and dangly or maybe a hair pin, they are really pretty too. It's really up to you though and what you think this person would like. We have these little toys over here if it's a kid.” He was staring at the earrings.

“I think I like these earrings, I think they would compliment their eyes. They have really pretty eyes. ”

“Really? I have been admiring them for so long. I’m glad you like them. They are sterling silver you know! And the gems are real.”

“Sounds good, ring me up.” You brought them over to the counter and packaged them carefully. It felt bittersweet.

Who are these for? I was actually going to buy these. Why did I show him them! 

You rang him up and he paid.

“Would you mind if I stayed? I don’t really have much to do and it's fun in here.”

“Yeah you can stay if you really want to, but I still have like four hours until closing.”

“I’ll help you out, I’m sure a bunch of grandmas are about to come rushing in to get herbs.”

He was right. The shop was manic for the next two hours after Shorter opened the blinds and unlocked the door. Once there was a moment of peace you sighed and sat down on the floor. 

God I am so exhausted. Why am I so tired?

When you sat on the ground Shorter looked down at you. He squatted to get to your eye level.

“Only two hours left! C’mon Y/N we are in the home stretch!” You shot him your exhausted eyes, which convinced him to sit down on the floor next to you. He put his hand on your head, and gave it a pat before pushing it onto his shoulder. As your head rested there you felt cozy. That coziness was soon interrupted by that bell. Jeez was that getting annoying. Shorter shot up from the floor but you stayed, in defeat. For the next two hours he let you work on paperwork in the back room with a lovely chair while he manned the front lines. Once eight came around you had filled out and filed the entire mound of paperwork that Mr. Tsuchiya had waiting for him. You felt a sense of triumph, and it felt good that you knew Mr. Tsuchiya wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. You walked out of the office to see Shorter standing behind the counter, you admired him for a second. You felt immensely grateful for what he did today. 

“Are you ready to close?”

“Yes Sir!” You put your hand to your forehead as if you were a soldier. 

“Alright, lets go.” You grabbed your coat and bag and he grabbed the bag with the earrings in it. He held the door open for you and you stepped out.

Ahh fresh air!

You stood on the sidewalk as he locked the door. You spotted a motorcycle down the street. 

“You lied about having a ride those nights didn’t you.” 

Busted.

You stood there with your mouth agape. He started again, “Well?”... “Y/N why’d you lie about something important like that?”... “You could have seriously gotten hurt.” You couldn’t open your mouth to tell him. “Y/N?”

“I didn’t want to bother anyone.” you muttered. He stared at you blankly. 

“I am positive you could never be a bother to me. Let's start walking, because from now on I am your escort, I’ll just start showing up places, asking all kinds of questions. Y/N do you have a ride? Y/N where are you going? Y/N are you hurt? Y/N I’ll walk behind you to ensure your safety!” He laughed at his own bit, and you did too, “A body guard has to do what a bodyguard has to do!”

“Is that your bike?” you pointed down the street, he turned and nodded. 

“I thought you’d eat shit if you ever rode a motorcycle” the fact that he remembered your exact words from that night weeks ago made your stomach flutter. “We can ride if you want”

“I want to.” He walked down the street to his bike and placed his only helmet on your head. You gave him a look of concern. 

“I’ve been riding for forever so I'll be fine.” He grabbed your waist and helped you get on, and then he got on. “Grab onto my waist”. You lifted your arms to a loose position around his waist, which he then tightened with his hands. He put the key in the ignition and placed his hands on the handlebars. Before taking off he said, “I should really get another helmet, what's your favorite color?” The bike moved incredibly fast and smooth along the streets. It was definitely faster than walking. Shorter managed to get you back to the apartment in five minutes. 

“See how little of a bother that is? So what's the color? I gave you time to think.” He got off the motorcycle and stood on the sidewalk, leaving you on the seat alone. 

“God you are going to get a helmet for me?”

“Well I will be driving you here frequently and I don’t want either of us to die.” 

“I don’t know I don't want you to buy something like that for me” 

“C’mon Y/N, stop with this we both deserve a helmet while we are riding this death machine, if I don’t get you one then I’ll be the helmetless one, do you want me to be helmetless?”

“I like purple”

“Alright great purple it is.” He reached for the helmet that was on your head unbuckling it from your chin and sliding it off. He put his hands on your hair and smoothed it out. For a second the two of you made eye contact, but you quickly blushed and looked to the concrete. You got up off the bike almost tripping until Shorter grabbed your hand. He walked you up the steps this time, opened the lobby doors, and stepped into the lobby. You waved to the lobby clerk, Alix, and then said goodbye to Shorter. 

“Goodnight Shorter”

“Goodnight Y/N” you turned and walked towards the elevators but didn’t hear the lobby doors open again. You pressed the button for the elevator and got in. As the door closed, you spotted Shorter talking to the Alix. Standing alone in the elevator after being with Shorter felt lonely, but the fact was you were way too tired to even begin to care. 

What are they friends too?

Stepping into the apartment was bliss, you walked to the fridge and stuffed leftovers into your mouth as you hunched over the containers and then hobbled into your bedroom belly flopping onto the bed and falling into a deep slumber. 

God I hope I don’t have anything to do tomorrow. 

In the morning or afternoon rather you woke up craving a street hotdog. You remembered that a street vendor was usually stationed on the same block as your building so after convincing yourself out of bed for twenty minutes you got up and grabbed a five dollar bill. You looked animalistic as you left the apartment. When you reached the lobby Alix called for you. 

“Y/N?” 

“What’s up Alix?”

“This was left here for you.” It was a small gift wrapped with newspaper. You tore it open to see a familiar box, and upon opening the box you saw the earrings. The ones you had shown Shorter. “The gentlemen you came in with last night left them for you. He wanted it to be a surprise.”

You stood there stunned, “Thank you.” You went back upstairs forgetting the hotdog and tried the earrings on. They complimented your eyes.


	6. Theif

The next day you had work was that Monday. You wore the earrings Shorter got you. When the shift was over and you walked outside, Shorter was waiting for you. He had a purple helmet in his hands and was leaning on his bike. The second you saw him you got butterflies in your stomach. You walked toward him.

“I wanted to say thank you for the earrings.”

“Oh, you’re wearing them?” He straightened himself out and tucked your hair behind your ear. “Yeah, they look just as good as I imagined” He paused to look at you for a minute. You didn’t know what to do with yourself as you stood there. His hand was resting in your hair, you didn’t dare make eye contact with him.

As you stared at the ground you nervously spoke, “Are you going to let me try on that helmet or not?” He snapped out of it. 

“Oh yeah, let me see” He slid the helmet over your head. It fit perfectly. “A nice fit, I just guessed on the head size.”

“My god the complications that could have arisen if you didn't get that right! I’m so lucky you are so good at measuring head radians! My prince!”

“Shut up you nerd”

“I’m not the nerd here, and I think we both know that.” You got onto the bike straddling it as you waited for him to get on and start it. He got on and you gripped his waist. 

“You know Y/N, it's only eight. Have you eaten? Do you wanna stop somewhere?”

“I had a yummy protein bar… we should probably stop somewhere, anywhere is good.”

“Do you ever have groceries?” You frowned behind him.

“My mom hasn’t been around much lately… we've both been busy.”

“Is she home tonight?”

“No sometimes she stays at her boyfriends, his apartment is closer to her work and she's been working overtime lately. It’s easier.” He then started the bike and swiftly directed it out of the spot it was in. He drove to a little market that was closeby. 

The two of you walked in. He questioned you profusely. 

“Do you have rice?”

“No..”

“Eggs?”

“No…”

“My god.” He grabbed the rest of the stuff without asking. It was only a few things. He paid again, which made you feel a little guilty. You guys got back on the bike and headed to your building. When he parked he started explaining to you. 

“Put a pot of water on for the rice. Just follow the instructions on the bag. I bet you know how. Then make an egg omelette with the pork and mushrooms. Assemble the bowl and put some garnish on top super easy.”

“I thought you were gonna cook for me!”

“I didn’t know you’d want me to come up.”

“Of course you can. You do so much for me you can come see my humble abode.”

He entered the building, this time going past the lobby. When you got up to the apartment you warned him that you weren't expecting guests. The kitchen and living room were fine. It was your bedroom that you were worried about. He set the bag of groceries on the counter. 

“I’ll get dinner ready and you can do what you need to do.” 

God he's too good to me.

You walked into your bedroom which was surprisingly okay. You had forgotten you tidied up the day before. You cracked the window open and lit a candle. You tidied up the miscellaneous objects that were scattered about and could feel how exhausted your muscles were. Spotting yourself in the mirror was horrific. You needed a shower. 

Is that okay? With him here? I don’t want him to think anything of it?

You opted to not announce to him that you were showering; you took your earrings out admiring them as you went and grabbed a change of clothes. You went into the bathroom, locked the door, and took a nice boiling hot shower. You got dressed in the steam. You brushed your hair, moisturized, and put on some lavender oil. You remembered the pain in your shoulder and even broke out the vaporub. When you walked out of the bathroom it smelled amazing. You could hear him cooking in the kitchen. You walked out to look in on him. He had taken his jacket off and was wearing a tanktop. His biceps were huge, and you could see his chest was chiseled as well. 

“Was the shower nice? You don’t have homework do you?”

“Yeah, it was nice. I got my homework done already.” It seemed that he was concerned about you all the time.

“I’m just about done just finishing up the omelets” You looked over into the pan where he had perfectly crafted a rolled omelet. When it was cooked he cut it in half and placed each into one of the two bowls of rice beside him. He handed the bowl to you and you walked to the couch. He followed. You turned the TV on and watched some stupid old sitcom. The food he had prepared was delicious, you basically inhaled it. 

When you were done you put the bowl on the coffee table.

“Please don’t try to clean that stuff up, you made dinner, I've got it. I'll do it tomorrow.” You stretched up as you sat on the couch and yawned. You contorted your body into a fetal position and unknowingly closed your eyes. It was too late now, you were asleep. 

While you slept Shorter put a blanket over you and plugged your phone in. He even cleaned the dishes for you. He didn’t know whether to stay or leave, but in the end he didn’t want you alone in the apartment. At some point he picked you up and put you in your bed so that he could sleep on the couch. 

When your alarm rang in the morning you went to the bathroom. When you walked out you saw him on the couch. 

How did I end up there and how did he end up there?

You went in your room to change. You wanted to let him sleep so before you left to meet Cameron you wrote a note that read, “Hey, Thank you again for keeping me up and running. My mom shouldn’t be home today so do whatever you need to do. Please don’t rob me!! I would be completely heartbroken, but it would be mildly impressive.” 

When he slept he even looked good. His mohawk was squished down onto his face and he slept on his back. The sunglasses that he always had on were resting on the coffee table. His legs were hanging off the couch. 

As you entered the hallway of your apartment the world began to dim again. Every time you had left Shorter before your breathing stopped being efficient, but now you were getting over it, with the help of the intense bullying you put yourself through. 

God are you delusional? This is unhealthy. I’ve been fine without him all these years. You barely even know him. Just breathe dummy!

You walked out of the building and got into Camerons car.

“Good Morning” you said in a sing-songy voice. Cameron shot you a glance.

“Woke up in a good mood? Where is all the melancholy?” You pouted, but your smile couldnt be contained. 

“Oh my dear friend life has never been better.”


	7. Birthday Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you guys are enjoying the story :)) This is the last chapter I have already written so it might take me some time to get the next one up! I love this chapter though, its pretty good i think.

Shorter and you had met about two months ago at this point, but he had only started consistently picking you up from work about a week ago. Everynight he would be sitting outside the shop right on time with your helmet in hand. You knew that this wasn’t a normal friendship. 

It was a Thursday night and you walked out of the shop with a yawn, and adjusted the scarf you were wearing. School was off tomorrow, so it was technically the weekend. When you walked out you felt the rain patter onto your head. Shorter was standing in front of you. His bike wasn’t there and instead of a helmet he had an umbrella in his hand.

“I’m not risking it.” He said sternly. You nodded, the two of you began walking in the direction of your apartment. Over the past week you started to learn a lot about Shorter. You knew he had a sister who ran a restaurant, he was nineteen, and his birthday was July 1st, and you knew the name of his best friend. You still had no clue why he never took the sunglasses off, but you did know that the eyebrow piercing didn’t hurt that much. 

He held the umbrella over the two of you as you walked, every time you had to stop and wait to cross the street there was a palpable tension. After walking two blocks the rain turned into snow, and he lowered the umbrella, the snow was sticking to both of your hair. The streets were near quiet and the lamps lit up small circles of pavement. Shorter had not opened his mouth since the two of you were at the shop. 

“Shorter, how was your day?”

“Not bad. How was yours?

“Not bad. The snow is beautiful.” You glanced up at him. He had taken his sunglasses off and was looking down at you. As the snow fell from the sky it stuck in his hair leaving it speckled with white. Your nose was getting cold and red so you adjusted the scarf over it. Suddenly as you walked you realized Shorter was not beside you anymore. You turned to see him standing behind you looking up at the sky. You crouched to the ground grabbing as much snow as you could and molded it into a ball, you lightly tossed it at his torso. 

“Oh, now you've done it!” You yelled and turned to run down the street as he chased you. You giggled hysterically. He grabbed your scarf as you ran, stopping you in your tracks, he was now directly behind you. Turning around you realized that your faces were almost touching, and his eyes were right in front of you. You stopped giggling. His hand moved from the back of your head to your cheek and he pulled the scarf down off your nose and mouth. His eyes were staring down at your lips. Your lips were almost touched as you breathed eachothers air, he toyed with you as you stood there. You brought your hand up to his neck, and gripped his shirt with the other. You closed your eyes and moved towards him. He kissed you gently, his lips synchronized with yours. They were soft. Your bodies moved closer to each other, as he rested one of his hands on your lower back. He moved his lips from your mouth to your cheek, and then your nose and then your jaw. He backed away. You stood staring into his eyes. He let go of your face and back as you let go of his shirt. Your cheeks blushed, he reached to adjust your scarf so that it was over your nose once again. Then he started walking ahead of you. He stopped after a few feet and proceeded to reach his hand behind him, gesturing for you. You grabbed onto his hand and walked the rest of the way, the snow still falling gently from the sky. 

Outside of the building he said, “Go out with me tomorrow?”

“Yeah text me”

When you got into your apartment you let out a screech, and began to frolic around the living room, soon you ended up in bed, kicking your feet and screaming into your pillow.

The next day you woke up early with the alarm you had set for schooldays. It was about 8 when you decided there was no way you were going to fall back asleep. Shorter hadn’t texted you yet. Your mom wasn’t home, and unlike other mornings she had left a note, “Going to be a late night again. I will see you later tomorrow.” Having the apartment to yourself was nice. You sat on the couch for a few hours and caught up on the show you were watching, and did some cleaning around the apartment. When your phone went off in the other room you jumped up to get it, Shorter was calling you.

“I thought you were going to text me?”

“I’m full of surprises. I will be there in an hour. 4:30 ok?”

“Yep. See you then.” You hung up.

I only have an hour?

You brushed your teeth as you stepped into the shower and got your hair wet. You scrubbed and shaved everywhere. You used your really nice shampoo and conditioner. When you got out you put the lotion that smelled the best on, along with essential oils, and perfume. You chose your nice underwear and bra which was a set. You had no idea about how the night would go but you wanted to be prepared. You put on your favorite shirt which was a tight black long sleeve, a black pleated mini skirt, pink knitted tights, and long socks. You rushed over to the mirror and plopped down in front of it. You put moisturizer on and combed your hair. Then you did a simple makeup look, eyeliner, and mascara, with some chapstick. You decided to leave your hair down. When the hour was almost up you rushed to put everything in your tote bag and get your scarf and shoes, and jacket on. You wanted to be down there before he arrived. You got outside and had time to sit down on the stone steps. You slid on your mittens. He got there on his bike five minutes later. You stood up and he rushed over to you kissing you gently and grabbing your hand. 

“Aren’t you cold?” you shook your head slowly at him, letting out a smirk. 

Both of you got on the motorcycle. He drove for a while, and ended up at Central Park. He took your hand as you got off the bike. As you walked in the snow covered park he stopped at a vendor to get hot chocolates, and then led you to a small bridge where you stopped to look down at the water. 

“I used to come here with a friend. He used to tell me that he felt at peace here. He liked going to the library too.” 

“It is very nice here.” The water was frozen over thin ice spread atop of it. “My mom used to take me to the library all the time when I was a kid.” He nodded and smiled. He took a sip from his cup leaving a chocolate mustache. You reached out and wiped it from his upper lip. The two of you continued walking along the park. He stopped to reach down for flowers a few times which he then presented to you. You spent a lot of time in the park before you made it back to his bike, now with a mini bouquet in your tote. The sun was going to set soon. He directed his bike swiftly along the streets, he was fast, and also an amazing rider. He drove you to a familiar place, China Town, until you were outside of a building. 

He grabbed you, “QUICK!” The two of you raced up the stairs and arrived at the door to the roof. He led you through the door as he stood behind you, his hands on your waist. The sun had just begun to set as you got up there. You turned around to smile at him. 

“You are so cheesy Shorter.”

“I wanted to give you a highly romantic moment, one for the books. Nothing beats a kiss at sunset.” He bent down to kiss you.

For a second he stopped and interrupted with a question, “Now that I have perfectly executed the sunset kiss can I make an attempt at the official boyfriend girlfriend kiss?” 

You laughed, “What are you getting at dummy?”

He smiled, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Internally you were freaking out, the alarms were blaring, but you mustered up the strength to answer him, “Yes, yes I will, and yes you can make an attempt at the” you began to airquote, “official boyfriend girlfriend kiss.” When he kissed you this time you felt as if you were melting into him. His soft lips entangled with yours, his hand gliding up your torso. He stopped for a second to kiss you on the forehead and then embraced you.

“Watch as the sun disappears. Look look!” The sun moved down into the earth.

You broke the silence because you had just realized you had no idea where you were, “Whose building is this?”

“Mine, my apartments on the fifth floor. Do you want to go see? I can cook something instead of going out.”

“That sounds nice.” Knowing that anything he cooked would be better. He led you to his apartment. Walking in you realized he must live alone, it was a studio. He had beautiful tall windows along the entire back wall. It was messy but organized. The bed hastily made. Taking off your jacket he placed it on a chair. You both slid your shoes off. He opened the fridge.

“How abouuuttt… hmmm… spaghetti? Spaghetti with some veggies… vegetable spaghetti!”

“Yum, anything you need me to do?” He handed you two zucchini, an asparagus bunch, and a container of mushrooms. 

“Chop”

He turned away to fill a pot with water, “Rigatoni or bowties?” He placed the pot down lighting the burner. 

“Well bowties are always fun.” He took them down from the top shelf without even needing to extend his arm. He looked over your shoulder as you chopped. 

“Your veggies are too big my girl” He clicked his tongue. You giggled. He reached around you and held the knife, and began to guide the chops you were making. His chin rested on your head. 

“There we go like that.” You elbowed him.

“Dummy.” He let go, turning to grab a saucepan. He then poured some oil into it and let it heat up. You finished chopping up the vegetables and presented them to him.

“Perfect” he started to cook them in the pan. The water began to boil and you emptied the bow ties into the pot. You spotted a cd player by his bed. You walked over and picked a cd from his pile. It was classical music, Liszt. You put the cd on and turned the volume dial up.

Who knew he would have a cd like that.

He stood over the stove stirring occasionally. You sat at the table and watched. He made his way toward you.

“You know y/n this is my favorite cd. I got it as a gift once.” He grabbed your hand. “Come here” He tugged you towards him, his touch sending electric currents down your body, and he guided you through a dance. Your head rested on his chest, as his heart beat like a metronome. He danced his way next to the stove and stirred the pasta, grabbing a piece.

“It's done.” He turned the burners off and drained the pasta, when he had to turn to the sink he made sure your hands stayed wrapped around his torso. He combined the pasta with the vegetables and filled two bowls with it. You were surprised he wasn’t annoyed as you stood there wrapped around him, which was actively altering his mobility. He led you to the table and sat down. The food he prepared tasted amazing, and was cooked perfectly as well.

Once your bowl was empty he inquired again, “One more time, dance with me?” 

He extended his arm out to you. The dance was really just one long embrace. As the song ended he placed one hand on your forehead and one on your cheek. He seemed to be admiring you. He moved closer and kissed you. This time it was hard and passionate. His hands resting around your neck now, yours on his back. You ended up pressed against the window, his mouth moving down your neck. You reached for his shirt grasping it tightly and guiding it over his head. His hands quickly moved down to your thighs lifting you and making you straddle his waist. He placed you on the bed. 

“Get in” he ordered. You got under the covers. “Now, take your clothes off.” The way he talked now was intimidating. You began to take your clothes off, he made sure not to watch, trying not to make you uncomfortable. As you threw them onto the ground he went to pick them up and fold them onto his dresser, until you only had your bra and panties on. 

As you reached down for them he spoke, “Stop.” He opened his dresser and grabbed something. He came back and lifted the covers off of you. Your entire body was left close to naked. He kissed your cheek and moved his hands towards the hooks on your bra. As it unlatched your boobs fell out jiggling onto your body. His hand gravitated towards your waist and he let his lips press against your chest. He then quickly put the shirt he had taken from the dresser over your head. “Not yet y/n”. He got under the covers and held you close to him. He ran his hand through your hair gently. You laid there for a while, just taking in the image of him. Hours began to pass, you didn’t want to sleep, because you didn’t want the day to ever end. 

You climbed on top of him to get off the side of the bed. 

“Where are you off to?” You went into his dresser and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and put your shoes on. 

“On a mission. Let's go.” He got up and put clothes on. “I realized that we can’t let the night end before we celebrate.” The two of you walked out of his apartment and down the stairs.

“Please tell me where we are going at least.”

“To where we met of course.” You walked under his arm all the way to the corner store. Once inside you headed for the ice cream. “Favorite flavor?” 

“Oh um.”

“What are you embarrassed?”

“Birthday cake” he said with a sigh. 

“Well that's perfect! Some cake flavor to help us celebrate.” You picked up a pint of it and walked it to the counter, handing money to the cashier.

“Bag for that?”

“No it's okay. A spoon though please.” You walked out of the store with Shorter in tow. His sleepy face was very cute. You sat down on the sidewalk, and he sat beside you. You cracked open the pint and scooped out a little on the spoon. “To our companionship!” You held the spoon up to his mouth and he opened it, having the first spoonful.

“You know it's only 20 degrees out?”

“Shhhh. I feel warm next to you so why does it matter?” The two of you did some damage on the ice cream before he insisted that your hands were too cold, and insisted on getting you back in bed. 

He opened the door of his apartment, letting you go in first. You went to the bed and got under again. Taking the sweatpants you had borrowed for the journey off. He put the ice cream in the freezer and made it back to bed. 

“You are insane.” He muttered as you nuzzled your head into his bare chest. You had trouble falling asleep, you realized this was where you had always wanted to be, so you didn’t want it to end.


End file.
